Drinking Your Way Through Atlanta, One Brewery at a Time

Embarking on a self-directed tour of multiple Atlanta breweries could require some serious logistical planning to arrange visiting times and ensure a safe ride to each location. Enter Southern Beer Tours (SBT), now handling all of those particulars so that curious enthusiasts can merely handle the handle of a cold beer mug. SBT hosts several regular tours — including the Atlanta Brewery Tour, the Baseball & Brewery Tour and the Atlanta Walking Tour — and arrange private or customized tours for any occasion.

A Sweet Start

After noting the SBT experience on CulinaryLocal (the site dedicated to curating a roster of local food and drink events), we opted to try one of their most popular tours, the Atlanta Brewery Tour, comprised of a stop at SweetWater Brewing and a rotation of two other breweries. Our tour route takes us to Red Brick Brewing and Monday Night Brewing. Each tour and tasting experience reflects the unique style of the individual breweries.

SweetWater’s laid back style allows time to enjoy a beer or two and ask bartenders questions before touring the facilities. Marvel at some of the latest equipment (like oh say…a multi-million dollar machine that required German engineers to be flown in to assemble) learn a little bit of the company’s history and potentially get the scoop on new brews in their classified “Dank Tank.”

Tap Into the Scene

Red Brick presents a more intimate environment with live music by local artists and energetic bartenders eager to make recommendations. Though their brewing facilities are smaller, the space resonates with distinct character. Antique brewing equipment from the 1900s works alongside special pieces imported from England, and employees are encouraged to create their own small-batch brews in an area designated for that specific purpose.

Monday Night keeps the party time atmosphere alive with ample entertaining spaces inside the building and outside on the patio. Play some corn hole, catch a movie on their projector or just sit and chat with friends. Feel free to bring along your four-legged pals as well; they’ll have plenty of fun chomping on one of Monday Night’s stuffed beer-bottle chew toys.

Whether it’s tasty taps, the live music or the behind-the-scenes look at the thriving local brewery scene, these tours get the fun flowing for beer lovers and all their drinking buddies.